1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to sink-drain strainers, specifically to such strainers which help keep chemical-waste out of our nation's waterways.
2. Description of Prior Arts
Today many sink-drain outlets contain a removable perforated cup to prevent waste particles from entering and clogging the drainpipe. But the perforated cup alone is not adequate, it continuously gets clogged with waste particles causing blockage of the drain. This necessitates the repeated removal of the perforated cup, causing sink-water and waste-particles together to flow down the drain, resulting in waste particles continuously clogging the drainpipes.
There are several brands of chemicals on the market which are used to unclog, or to keep from clogging, sink drainpipes. Consumers pour these chemicals into their sink-drainpipes. Nationwide, the use of these chemicals produces many gallons of chemical-waste, most of which are ending up in our streams and rivers and polluting our waterways.
Inventors have created several types of sink-drain devices to prevent waste-particles from clogging the sink-drainpipes. For example:
U.S. Pat. No. 1,976,549 to Foose (1934) `Drain Fixture For Sinks`: shows a stopper and strainer, designed to be connected to a drainpipe.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,285,833 to Platt (1942) `Disposable Drain Strainer`: shows a disposable waste strainer cup of flexible material fitted in the sink drain-outlet.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,509,587 to Fins (1970) `Sink Strainer Body Assembly`: relates to a sink strainer of the type mounted in the discharge outlet of a sink.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,813,708 to Hamburg (1974) `Kitchen Sink and Drain Bowl Unit`: shows a drain bowl fastened within the drain opening of a kitchen sink.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,045,351 to Peterson (1977) `Sink Strainer Device`: shows an elongated cylinder is mounted beneath the sink in communication with the opening. The cylinder contains a holder with a disposable strainer therein and is removable for exchange through an opening in an end of the cylinder. Once every week or two the disposable strainer with dirt and sewage collected therein is removed and disposed in the garbage, then a new disposable strainer is installed in the holder in the cylinder.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,164,796 to Sakow (1979) `Sink Strainer Assembly`: Connect the strainer assembly to the plumbing system.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,232,407 to Williams (1980) `Basket Strainer And Stopper Assembly For Sinks`: shows a basket strainer located in sink drain-outlet.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,692,948 to Martin (1987) `Sink Strainer Having A Magnet`: a basket strainer is operatively mounted in the strainer body, located in sink drain-outlet.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,118 to Ceadrowski (1992) `Sink Strainer Assembly With Snap Lock`: having a lower portion connected to a drain.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,369,815 to Martin (1994) `Sink Strainer Having A Detachable Seal`: a basket strainer is operatively mounted in the strainer body, located in the sink drain outlet.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,418,983 to Garguillo (1995) `Decorative Color Changeable Basket Sink Strainer`: shows strainer body installed between the sink and the waste pipe.
NEVERTHELESS, the above prior-art inventions have a number of disadvantages:
The invention having a disposable strainer inside a cylinder: U.S. Pat. No. 4,045,351:
a) Manufacture of the cylinder and its installation to the drainpipe beneath the sink can be very expensive. PA1 b) Cutting into a drainpipe to install the above cylinder increases the risk of developing water leakage. PA1 c) Collecting dirt and sewage in a cylinder for a week or two can develop a bad odor and bacteria. PA1 d) Forgetting to remove the dirt-filled disposable strainer from the cylinder results in repeatedly clogged sink drain-outlets. PA1 e) Many of the above prior-art inventions have one thing in common: They have placed their inventions `inside` the sink's drain-outlet, which demands the disposal of the waste-particles `after` the waste particles entered the sink's drain-outlet. PA1 a) to provide a portable sink-drain strainer having numerous strainers per-sink. PA1 b) to provide a sink-drain strainer that is portable, and its numerous strainers cover the entire sink bottom, including the sink drain-outlet: From which derives it title, `A Portable Multi-Strainer`. PA1 c) to provide a sink-drain strainer having numerous strainers all working in unison trapping and keeping waste particles from entering the sink drain-outlet and clogging the drainpipe. PA1 d) to provide a sink-drain strainer which is durable, simple in construction and inexpensive to manufacture. It has no moving parts, needs no electric power, is portable, and needs no tools to install or remove.
However, `Logic` reveals the simplest method of preventing sink drainpipes from clogging is to trap and dispose of sink waste-particles `before` they reach the drain-outlet. I base my present invention `A Portable Multi-Strainer` on this simple logic as described in this patent application.
My `Portable Multi-Strainer` provides a device which traps waste-particles before they reach the sink-drain outlet, resulting in sink drainpipes kept free from clogging. This is accomplished without cutting into the drainpipes and without the use of chemicals.